Combination spout and shower fixture



March 30, 1954 s. HARTMANN ET AL 2,673,572

COMBINATION SPOUT AND SHOWER FIXTURE Filed Feb. 19, 1953 INVENTORS Patented Mar. 30, 1954 COMBINATION SPOUT AND SHOWER FIXTURE Gilbert L. Hartmann and Stephen A. Slinde, Milwaukee, Wis., assignors to Milwaukee Flush Valve Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application February 19, 1953, Serial No. 337,746 Claims. (Cl. 137--610) Our present invention relates in general to improvements in plumbing accessories, and relates more specifically to improvements in the construction and operation of combination spout and shower water dispensing fixtures.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved convertible combination spout and shower plumbing fixture which is exceedingly simple and compact in construction and highly efficient in operation.

Numerous plumbing fixtures of different types for interchangeably delivering warm or cold water to either a spout or a shower head, have heretofore been proposed and used with varying degrees of success; but practically all of these prior combination fixtures are either too complicated and unreliable in operation or they are too difii cult to install in cramped quarters and at moderate cost, as in vehicle drawn trailers or the like. Many of these previous convertible liquid dispensing fixtures are also relatively dangerous since they do not permit rapid and effective conversion from one use to another, and all of the prior devices are objectionable for one reason or another.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved spout-shower liquid dispensing fixture, which obviates all of the above mentioned objectionable features, and which may be easily installed within limited space.

Another important object of our invention is to provide a convertible plumbing fixture of the spout or shower type, which comprises relatively few simple but durable parts adapted to be readily manufactured and assembled at low cost to produce a unit which is conveniently manipulable to convert it from one use to another.

A further important object of the invention is to provide an improved flow control valve assembly for combination spout and shower fixtures, which will insure an abundant flow of liquid to either the spout or the shower nozzle to the exclusion of the other, without utilizing complicated packings requiring frequent atten tion and replacement.

Still another important object of the present invention is to provide a compact but highly efiective jet-spray convertible plumbing fixture especially adapted for installation in vehicle drawn trailers or similar cramped localities, and which may be installed by a novice and safely manipulated.

These and other objects and advantages of the improvement will be apparent from the following description, from which it may be noted that the gist of our invention is the provision or a convertible spout-shower liquid dispensing fixture in which the water distributing casing is provided with a bore having spout and shower outlets on its opposite sides, a nozzle secured to the casing and extending eccentrically within and along the bore and having spaced liquid delivery orifices directed toward the spout outlet side of the bore, a tubular valve body slidable along the bore and having a local opening on one side alineable with one of the nozzle orifices and with the spout outlet while its opposite side is slotted longitudinally for slidable cooperation with the eccentric nozzle, and a member manipulable from the exterior of the casing for moving the valve body along the casing bore.

A clear conception of the several features conconvertible plumbing fixture embodying the same, may be had by referring to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various views.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the improved combination spout and shower fixtures, showing the hot and cold water supply valves and the spout and shower head, but having a. portion of the shower supply conduit broken away;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary central vertical section through the fixture of Fig. 1, with a portion of the shower omitted and showing the diverter valve body in spouting position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section through the improved fixture, similar to that of Fig. 2, but showing the diverter valve body in showering position;

Fig. 4 is a transverse horizontal section through the same spout-shower fixture, taken along the line 4 4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the diverter valve body and its actuating knob, looking toward the longitudinally slotted side of the body.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as being especially applicable to small and compact warm and cold water supply fixtures of the convertible spout and shower type adapted for vehicle use, it is not our desire or intent to unnecessarily restrict the utility of the improved features by virtue of this limited showing; and it is also contemplated that specific descriptive terms employed herein be given the broadest possible interpretation consistent with the disclosure.

Referring to the drawing. the improved spout and shower plumbing fixture illustrated therein, comprises in general a main hot and cold water mixing and distribution casing 6 provided with a central upright cylindrical bore i having a spout outlet 8 on one side and a shower outlet 9 on the opposite side thereof; a vertically elongated up right nozzle I fixedly secured to the casing E at the lower end and eccentrically of the bore i and having a central liquid supply port II communicating with vertically spaced liquid delivery orifices I2, I3 directed toward the spout outlet side of the bore 1 a tubular valve body I4 snugly slid-able along the bore 7 and having a local upper opening IS on one side which is alineable with the upper nozzle orifice I2 and with the spout outlet 8, while its opposite side is provided with an elongated slot I6 slidably cooperable with the eccentrically disposed fixed nozzle It; a handle or actuating knob i1 connected to the valve body It by a stem or rod It for moving this body along the bore i; a liquid dispensing spout is associated with the front of the body 6 in open communication with the outlet 8; a shower nozzle or spray head 29 connected by an elongated goose-neck conduit 2! with the shower outlet 9 of the casing l; and hot and cold liquid supply valves 22, 23 respectively, adapted to deliver regulated quantities of water to the port I: of the nozzle Ill through a header 24 secured to the bottom of the casing 6.

The casing E and the spout as may be formed integral with each other, and the liquid supply and initial mixing header 25 may be attached to the lower closure wall 25 of the casing bore I by screw thread or otherwise, while the upright nozzle It may be likewise firmly secured to this bottom closure wall 25 eccentrically of the bore T. The header 24 may also be concealed by a sheet-metal escutcheon 26 which likewise conceals the bodies of the hot and cold water supply valves 22, 23, and these valves may be of ordinary and well known construction and are manually controllable by means of independently operable handles 2?, 28 respectively so as to admit any desired relative proportions of hot and cold liquid to the mixing header 24 and to the nozzle port II.

The stationary distributing nozzle I?! may be formed hexagonal or otherwise polygonal, as shown in Fig. 4, in order applied to the lower casing wall through the upper open end of the bore l before the valve body I4 has been inserted, and this upper bore end is normally sealed by a screw plug 23 having a central opening through which the rod id of the actuating knob I! is snugly slidably confined. The upper extremity of the tubular valve body I4 is closed by a top plate 35 to which the lower end of the rod 28 may be attached by fusion of metals or otherwise, and this top plate 39 is cooperable with the plug 2s to limit the upward movement of the body It and with the top of the nozzle II! to likewise limit its downward travel, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 2 respectively.

The construction of the movable valve body I4 and its cooperation with the fixed nozzle as are very important in obtaining most effective conversion of the fixture from spout to shower, and vice versa, and the hollow tubular valve body I4 may be formed of sheet-metal and has considerably larger internal diameter than the crosssection of the nozzle which is disposed eccentrically of the body I4 so as to provide a relatively extensive free chamber or space 3| between the delivery ends of the nozzle orifices I2,

to permit it to be readily I3 and the front portion of the tubular wall of the body I4. The upper opening I5 of the valve body I4 is confined to the top of this body and is of such size that when the body I4 is lowered as in Fig. 2 the opening I5, spout outlet 8, and the upper orifice I2 are in alinement and in open communication with each other. The rear slot I6 extends throughout the entire vertical length of the tubular body I4 and rather snugly coacts with the nozzle It so as to prevent the body l4 from rotating about its central axis, and when the valve body I4 is lowered as far as possible as in Fig. 2 there is only limited slit communication between the internal free space within the body and the shower outlet 9, whereas lifting of the valve body I4 into the position shown in Fig. 3 causes the front valve opening I5 to be sealed and exposes the internal valve space 3i to the outlet 9 through a considerable portion of the slot IS.

The lower nozzle orifice I3 constantly communicates with the chamber or free space 3| between the nozzle ID and the interior of the valve body I4, some distance below the orifice I2 and the outlets 8, 9, and functions primarily to fill this space with liquid when the valves 22, 23 are opened. The spout I9 is provided with the usual downwardly directed discharge opening 32, and the shower spray nozzle or shower head 28 may be of any desired type having a plurality of spray or jet orifices 33 therein. This spray head 20 is preferably universally adjustably suspended from the upper end of the goose neck conduit 2| which may be formed of standard pipe and of any desired length, and normally has its lower end detachably secured as by screw threads to the rear of the casing S in open communication with the shower outlet 9, see Figs. 2 and 3. The escutcheon 2'5 which conceals the header 24 and provides a base for the casing 6 may be held in contact with the latter by the attachment of this escutcheon to the valves 22, 23 in a well known manner, and all of the externally exposed surfaces of the assemblage may be plated or otherwise finished to present a neat appearance.

When the improved combination spout and shower fixture has been constructed, assembled and installed with the supply valves 22, 23 in communication with suitable sources of hot and cold liquid under pressure, the entire assemblage will be inactive whenever the handles 21, 28 are in closed position. However, if liquid under pressure is admitted past either or both of the supply valves 22, 23 to the header 24, the admitted liquid will be initially mixed in this header and the mixture will flow through the central conduit or port II of the nozzle I0 and into the chamber 3| through the orifices I3, I2 in further thoroughly mixed condition. The liquid thus delivered from the lower orifice I3 will quickly fill the chamber SI and keep it filled at all times, and the jet of liquid delivered from the upper orifice I2 may interchangeably cause a flow from either the spout I9 or from the shower head 20 depending upon the setting of the valve body I 4.

If the valve body I4 is lowered to bring the local upper front opening I5 thereof into alinement with the spout outlet 8 and with the upper nozzle orifice I2, as in Fig. 2, then the jet delivered from the orifice I2 and centrally through the opening I5 and outlet 8 cooperates with the narrow slits between the opposite sides of the slot I6 and the nozzle II), to produce a Venturi effect and to create a suction flow through these slits from within the shower outlet 9, thereby preventing liquid from entering the shower conduit 2| While producing an abundant unrestricted flow only through the spout l9 and its discharge opening 32. In order to convert the fixture into a shower, it is only necessary to lift the valve body M with the aid of the knob I! so that the spout outlet 8 and the opening I are sealed, and the slot i6 is openly exposed to the shower outlet 9 as in Fig. 3, whereupon the jet delivered from the upper orifice |2 of the nozzle Ill will aid in sealing the spout outlet and the liquid delivered into the chamber 3| under pressure from both orifices l2, l3 will cause an abundant unrestricted flow to the shower head 2|] only through the slot I6, outlet 9, and conduit 2|.

The pressure of the liquid admitted to the chamber 3| and acting upon the top plate 36 of the valve body I4 assists in lifting the body with the aid of the knob l1; and the body I4 may be readily lowered by merely pressing the knob |l downwardly. The valve body It is effectively prevented from turning about its central axis by virtue of the coaction between the opposite edges of the slot l6 and the nozzle It; and access to the valve body l4 and nozzle It may be readily gained by merely unscrewing the closure plug 29 at the upper end of the bore. The supply valves 22, 23 may be manipulated to obtain a mixture of hot and cold water of any desired temperature,

or hot or cold liquid alone, and when the plug 29 and the valve body l4 have been removed, the nozzle It! is also freely accessible for inspection or removal.

From the foregoing detailed description of the construction and operation of our device, it should be apparent that we have in fact provided a readily convertible spout or shower plumbing fixture which is simple, compact and durable in construction and highly effective and dependable in use. The formation and cooperation of the nozzle I0 and valve body !4 so as to form the chamber 3| is of great importance in producing rapid and highly satisfactory conversion of the fixture from one use to another and in creating unrestricted flow of the liquid to either the spout I9 or the shower head 2!), while also maintaining these cooperating parts in proper position. The various parts of the unit may also be manufactured at low cost and U readily assembled or dismantled, and is devoid of replaceable packings, springs, and other delicate parts requiring frequent attention. The invention has gone into highly satisfactory use functioning as hereinabove described, and the improved fixtures are especially adapted for convenient installation in relatively inaccessible and cramped localities.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit this invention to the exact details of construction and operation of the combination spout and shower specifically shown and described herein, for various modifications within the scope of the appended claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

We claim:

1. In a spout-shower fixture, a casing having therein a cylindrical bore and being provided with separate spout and shower outlets communicating with the opposite sides of said bore, a tubular valve body slidable within said bore and having a local opening in one side communicable with said spout outlet and an elongated slot in its opposite side communicable with said shower outlet, a liquid inlet nozzle secured to said casing at one end of said bore and ex tending into said valve body and coacting with said slot to prevent rotation of the body, said nozzle having spaced liquid discharge orifices directed toward the locally open side of said body means at the opposite end of said bore for sliding said body therealong.

2. In a spout-shower fixture, a casing having therein a cylindrical bore and being provided with separate spout and shower outlets communicating with the opposite sides of said bore, a tubular valve body slidable within said bore and having a local opening in one side communicable with said spout outlet and an elongated slot in its opposite side communicable with said shower outlet, a liquid inlet nozzle secured to said casing at one end of said bore and extending into said valve body and along and within said slot, said nozzle having a liquid discharge orifice directed through said local opening when said body is in open communication with said spout outlet, and manually manipulable means for sliding said body along said bore.

3. In a spout-shower fixture, a casing having therein a cylindrical bore and being provided with separate spout and shower outlets communicating with the opposite sides of said bore, a tubular valve body slidable within said bore and having a local opening in one side communicable with said spout outlet and an elongated slot in its opposite side communicable with said shower outlet, a fixed liquid inlet nozzle secured to said casing and extending along and within the slot of said body, said nozzle having a liquid discharge orifice directed across the interior of said body and through said local opening when the body is in open communication with said spout from the exterior of said casing for sliding said body along said bore.

4. In a spout-shower fixture, a casing having a bore provided with segregated spout and shower outlets on opposite sides thereof, a nozzle secured to said casing and extending eccentrically within and along said bore and having spaced liquid delivery orifices directed toward said spout outlet side of the bore, a tubular valve body slidable along said bore and having a local opening on ber manipulable from the exterior of said casing to move said valve body along said bore.

5. In a spout-shower fixture, a casing having a bore provided at its opposite sides with segregated spout and shower outlets, an elongated nozzle extending eccentrically within and along said bore to provide a crescent-shaped chamber near said spout outlet, said nozzle having spaced liquid delivery orifices directed across said chamber and one of which is disposed in alinement with said spout outlet, a tubular valve body slidable along said bore and having a local opening alineable with said spout outlet and with the alined orifice, said body also having a slot remote from said opening slidably cooperable with said nozzle and adapted to connect said chamber with said shower outlet, and mean for moving said valve body along said bore.

6. In a spout-shower fixture, a casing having a bore provided at its opposite sides with substantially alined spout and shower outlets, a fixed nozzle extending eccentrically within and along said bore, said nozzle having an orifice spaced from but directed toward said spout outlet, a tubular valve body having a local opening alineable with said orifice and with said spout outlet and also having an elongated slot remote from said opening cooperable with said nozzle to prevent rotation of the body relative to the bore, and means for sliding said valve body within said bore to interchangeably place said orifice in open communication with said outlets.

'7. In a spout-shower fixture, a casing having a bore open at one end and permanently closed at the other and provided with opposed spout and shower outlets between said ends, a removable closure ior the open end of said bore, a nozzle fixedly secured to said casing at said permanently closed bore end and extending eccentrically within and along said bore, said nozzle having at least one liquid jet delivery orifice directed toward said spout outlet, a tubular valve body having a top closure movable along said bore and cooperable with said removable closure and with said nozzle to limit the movement of the body and said body also having openings at the opposite sides thereof communicable with said spout and shower outlets, and means for moving said valve body along said bore.

8. In a spout-shower fixture, a casing having a bore provided at its opposite sides with substantially alined spout and shower outlets, a fixed nozzle extending eccentrically within and along said bore, said nozzle having an orifice spaced from but directed toward said spout outlet, a hollow valve body having segregated openings communicable with said spout and shower outlet, and means for sliding said body within said bore.

9. In a spout-shower fixture, a casing having a bore provided with segregated spout and shower outlets, a hollow valve body slidable within said bore and having segregated spout and shower openings communicable with said outlets, a nozzle secured to said casing and extending eccentrically of said bore within said body to provide a crescent shaped chamber directly communicable with said spout outlet through said spout opening, said nozzle having one liquid discharge orifice directed across said chamber in line with said outlets and also having another orifice communicating with said chamber remote from the outlets, and means for sliding said valve body along said bore and said nozzle.

10. In a spout-shower fixture, a casing having a bore provided with segregated spout and shower outlets, a hollow valve slidable within said bore and having a local opening freely communicable with said spout outlet and also having a slot remote from said opening freely communicable with said shower opening, a liquid supply nozzle secured to said casing eccentrically of said bore and extending along said slot to prevent rotation of said valve body, said nozzle having an orifice for directing a liquid jet into said body in alinement with said spout outlet, and means for sliding said body along said bore and said nozzle.

GILBERT L. HARTMANN. STEPHEN A. SLINDE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,785,658 Stanley Dec. 16, 1930 2,041,002 Krauzer May 19, 1936 2,507,467 Fredrickson May 9, 1950- 

